Remarkable Plants That Shape Our World

Organized thematically, eight sections cover all aspects of our interaction with plants starting with those crops that were fundamental to the development of cultures and civilizations, and those that enliven our diet beyond the basics, such as saffron and chilli peppers. Plants are truly remarkable: even with all our modern technological prowess they still feed, clothe and shelter us, help transport us and can intoxicate and cure us. Helen and William Bynum are expert guides to the rich histories, significance and uses of over 80 key plants in 69 entries, revealing our relationship with them, both utilitarian and aesthetic, and their multiple benefits and cultural associations. Other sections look at plants that have helped to create our material world, as well as those that are used medicinally or are revered and adored for symbolic reasons, including the tulip, the rose and the lotus. For anyone interested in the natural world and the extraordinary diversity of flora around us, this elegantly illustrated and covetable book, published in association with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, will be an inspiration and a delight.

The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism Walker & Company King R. The struggle betwee\ n Meisso\ nier a\ nd Ma\ net to see their pai\ nti\ ngs achieve pride of place at the Salo\ n was \ not just about artistic competitive\ ness, it was about how to see the world. Full of fa\ ntastic tidbits of i\ nformatio\ n (such as the use of carrier pigeo\ ns a\ nd hot-air balloo\ ns duri\ ng the siege of Paris), a\ nd a colourful cast of characters that i\ ncludes Baudelaire, Courbet, a\ nd Zola, with walk-o\ n parts for Mo\ net, Re\ noir, Degas, a\ nd Ceza\ n\ ne, The Judgme\ nt of Paris casts \ new light o\ n the birth of Impressio\ nism a\ nd takes us to the heart of a time i\ n which the moder\ n Fre\ nch ide\ ntity was bei\ ng forged. If there were two me\ n who were absolutely ce\ ntral to artistic life i\ n Fra\ nce i\ n the seco\ nd half of the \ ni\ netee\ nth ce\ ntury, they were Edouard Ma\ net a\ nd Er\ nest Meisso\ nier. While the former has bee\ n labelled the Father of Impressio\ nism a\ nd is today a household \ name, the latter has su\ nk i\ nto obscurity. It is difficult \ now to believe that i\ n 1864, whe\ n this story begi\ ns, it was Meisso\ nier who was co\ nsidered the greatest Fre\ nch artist alive a\ nd who received astro\ nomical sums for his work, while Ma\ net was derided for his messy pai\ nti\ ngs of ordi\ nary people a\ nd had great difficulty getti\ ng a\ ny of his work accepted at the all-importa\ nt a\ n\ nual Paris Salo\ n. Ma\ net a\ nd Meisso\ nier were the Mozart a\ nd Salieri of their day, o\ ne a da\ ngerous challe\ nge to the establishme\ nt, the other beloved by rulers a\ nd the public alike for his pai\ nstaki\ ngly meticulous oil pai\ nti\ ngs of historical subjects. Out of the fasci\ nati\ ng story of their parallel careers, Ross Ki\ ng creates a le\ ns through which to view the political te\ nsio\ ns that dogged Louis-\ napoleo\ n duri\ ng the Seco\ nd Empire, his ig\ nomi\ nious dow\ nfall, a\ nd the bloody Paris Commu\ ne of 1871. At the same time, Ki\ ng pai\ nts a wo\ nderfully detailed a\ nd vivid portrait of life i\ n a\ n era of radical social cha\ nge: o\ n the streets of Paris, at the \ new seaside resorts of Boulog\ ne a\ nd Trouville, a\ nd at the race courses a\ nd pic\ nic spots where the \ new bourgeoisie relaxed. Whe\ n Ma\ net pai\ nted Dejeu\ ner sur lherbe or Olympia, he shocked \ not o\ nly with his casual brushstrokes (described by some as applied by a floor mop) but with his subject matter: top-hatted white-collar workers (a\ nd their mistresses) were \ not co\ nsidered suitable subjects for Art. Ross Ki\ ng shows how, be\ nig\ n as they might seem today, these pai\ nti\ ngs cha\ nged the course of history.598 руб

Connected: Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives HarperCollins UK Nicholas A. C. Membership of websites such as Facebook and MySpace now reaches well into the millions, allowing people who have never met before to become ' friends' . Inevitably, these sites, along with the development of the blogosphere and the accessibility of the news, have generated a new way of thinking about society, and particularly the place of the individual within it. Yet, in spite of this development and the growing desire to understand it, people typically do not know why social networks form, how they work and why they matter. ' Connected' is the first book to focus on the formation of social networks, exploring their material relevance to people' s lives - their health, wealth and happiness, and even their political, religious and sexual behaviour. Examining a wide-range of compelling issues, such as why the rich become richer, how stampedes originate and why people imitate one another, even in acts of murder, ' Connected' looks at social life in a refreshing and captivating way. It reveals that things which seem like they would not spread through social networks, at times, do; obesity can, in fact, be socially contagious. Despite its modern day relevance, ' Connected' reveals that social networks reflect universal and fundamental human tendencies that have existed for thousands of years. It challenges well-established social theories, and also provides a fresh perspective on an issue that philosophers have been tackling for centuries - free will. An intellectually stimulating and highly accessible read. The availability of social network information has unquestionably exploded. Based on exciting discoveries in mathematics, genetics, psychology and sociology, ' Connected' is an innovative and fascinating exploration of how social networks operate.603 руб

Our World Weather Anova Morris N. Each subject is given a simplified yet thorough explanation, and each book contains easy experiments children can carry out at home with step-by-step instructions helping them to gain hands-on experience and reinforce learning.798 руб